Strategic advice and policy development

We assist government and industry organisations across a range of areas in strategy and policy development. Incorporation of cross-cutting considerations around sustainable business performance is a key feature of our work, including climate change resilience, cultural sensitivity and gender equity.

International development

We’ve provided strategic advice to several New Zealand Government overseas projects, including a join forestry initiative between New Zealand and the Philippines (Bukidnon Forestry Incorporated) and the WOSED Women’s Microfinance Scheme in Fiji.

Agribusiness strategy development

We reviewed the global markets for sheep meat, beef, wool, dairy product, plantation forestry, venison, skins and hides, apples, kiwifruit, arable crops and seeds for the directors of a large agribusiness. This research was used to develop portfolio spread and risk management strategies and identify future opportunities for further development. In another assignment, we assessed the future operating environment and international prospects for a large rural servicing company. Based on this analysis, we developed a strategic framework for business activities encompassing land use change and assisted with strategy design.

Sustainable agriculture

Nimmo-Bell & Associates conducted a literature review of the New Zealand Government’s environmental policies and their effect on sustainable agriculture, including an interpretation of all relevant legislation (acts and regulations) to identify key issues and develop future policy frameworks. The study covered the history of environmental policies in New Zealand, the move towards ‘polluter pays’ and ‘user pays models’ and implications for agriculture. It canvassed various issues and sectors such as water quality, irrigation, soil conservation, indigenous and plantation forests, arable and processed crops and the livestock industry.

Strategic review of the Philippine dairy industry

Nimmo-Bell & Associates conducted a strategic review of the Philippine dairy industry and assessed the potential for sustainable growth. The review concluded with the development of a strategy for targeted assistance to overcome barriers to growth.

Deer industry strategy

We assessed critical factors facing the deer industry in New Zealand and internationally for the New Zealand Game Industry Board based on an industry vision of the future. We provided analysis that was used by the Board to support the vision.

Quality enhancement for the leather industry

We worked with the New Zealand Tanners Association, the Leather and Shoe Research Association and Trade New Zealand to develop a quality enhancement programme for hides and skins to improve the quality of raw products for leather production. This covered on-farm stock management and primary processing during the slaughter process.

Policy management tools

We were part of a team funded by the New Zealand Foundation for Research, Science and Technology that was tasked with developing policy management tools to create a method that could be applied by Biosecurity New Zealand (BNZ) to rapidly and accurately evaluate and rank projects aimed at protecting indigenous biodiversity from incursions of exotic pests and diseases. The project came at a time in New Zealand where considerable work was going into the risk assessment of incursions; however, the link in the chain between good science and policy implementation was very weak. We developed a robust economic framework that maps the exotic pest/disease pathway within the indigenous ecosystem, identifies exposure and risk, traces out the time dimension associated with incursion and links management responses to outcomes, the costs of management and associated benefits. Applied valuation studies were integrated into the economic framework and a Decision Support System (DSS) was developed in a way that could be operationally implemented by BNZ staff. The project was directly aligned with the New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy.